Nancy Johnston
Autor de Excuse Me! A Book All About Manners
Obras de Nancy Johnston
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Miembros
Reseñas
También Puede Gustarte
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Estadísticas
- Obras
- 5
- También por
- 3
- Miembros
- 44
- Popularidad
- #346,250
- Valoración
- 3.7
- Reseñas
- 2
- ISBNs
- 6
Well, I was impressed by the presentation given by the book. I am a lover of color pictures, particularly those with scenic views (especially around water - I love its reflections!), and close-ups of people (I don't care much for group shots, or for long-distance views, unless they create a mood). Also, I loved the text. I feel no book of photography is truly complete without words to tie the pictures together and relate them to a theme.
Nearly all of the scenic views in the book are good. I especially like those on pages 33 (rock texture), 54 (stormy sky), and 57 (subdued light, water reflections). The picture on page 61 is very beautiful. However, I think the photographer should have stepped back a few feet in or4der to include some part of the the stream below the falls, so they wouldn't look "cut off" -- although this could be due to poor cropping.
The viewpoint is very important in a scenic photograph, as well as the lighting. A good example of this is two contrasting aerial views of Central Park. The one on page 6 is taken from a low angle, and "head on." The lighting is hazy. Compare it with the picture on page 53. Here the higher camera angle and cross view, plus bright lighting, make the picture more effective.
Human interest shots abound in this book. I prefer close-ups, in particular those on pages 23, 27, 28, 38-39 (especially if it's a candid!), 40 (a good action shot), 41, 49 (good viewpoint), and 128. My favorite is on page 145. Notice how the little girl seems to be looking directly at the White Rabbit's watch! Some of the human interest pictures taken from a distance are pleasing, too, because the distance creates a mood of peace and solitude. Examples are on pages 79, 80, 141, and 150.
A few of the photographs could use improvements in point of view. On page 62, a few steps to the right would have framed the rowboat and the people inside with the tree branches. A vertical picture would have been more appropriate for the boy on page 88, besides eliminating the distracting boy to the right. On page 93, use of a telephoto lens would emphasize the player directly beneath the ball and made the picture more dramatic. The same lens focused only on the karate fighters on page 96 would improve that picture. In both pictures, the people in the background or nearby are doing little and are distracting.
Some of the pictures in this book show faults (due either to composition or cropping in the darkroom, or both) that one would not expect in a good photography book. Photographs on pages 11, 30, 44, and 64 are blurry or have distracting blurry parts that should be cropped out. Parts of people have been cut off on pages 24, 29, and 101.
Other pictures have poor composition. Subjects and action are vague on pages 71 and 98. The backgrounds could be improved on page 123 (hard to see dark-skinned people on a dark background) and page 132 (why are the buildings in the picture? Why not concentrate on the animals?). Blurry bars in the foreground detract from the picture on page 134.
All in all, however, I feel this book is excellent. After al, much of my criticism (and praise) is based on my own prejudices on what I feel is good and bad in photographs. The pictures in this book show the beauty and vitality of New York City's Central Park, a beauty and a vitality a non-witness like me may not believe possible, until coming alive in the words and pictures of Central Park Country: A Tune Within Us.… (más)